The sound of jar lids popping in the kitchen is a sound that every canner wants to hear. The last bit of air being forced out of the jars as they cool means that the jar has successfully sealed. Being able to share this knowledge with others and hearing of there success in there own kitchens is wonderful. This past Saturday I got to share that with some friends. We made Strawberry-Mint Jam, Strawberry-Lemon Marmalade and Lemon Curd. Listening to there stories while the jams were being made and watching with amazement as they got there first taste of jam making made the afternoon fly by.
Knowing where the food you feed your family came from and how it was produced is one of the biggest pieces of information that I felt I could provide. As someone who is somewhat skeptical of mass produced foods, not knowing what was really in my food was always bothersome. Being able to share in the local food movement and provide information about local farmers who produce some wonderful fruits and veggies is great. Why send your money off to the other side of the world when you could keep it here and help your local community to prosper is a feeling that has been very rewarding to me.
Now everyone together A la Cusine!
My attempts to make strawberry preserves are turning out a little frustrating. I have tried a couple methods for them and instead of coming out as jars of strawberries is syrup they are jars of syrup with some strawberries in them. My first attempt created a very watery syrup and the second created a very think overly sugary goo. Strawberries seem to go from nice and firm to soft and mushy in a blink of an eye. Trying to catch them before they become mush has been the tricky part. Luckily I can reprocess the the syrup and make some sort of jam out of it so it's not a total waste.
The adventures in the kitchen are intriguing and have got me wanting to experiment more and more trying new and different combinations of this and that. Experimenting with different techniques and making new discoveries.
Off to the kitchen with me then...
Farmers Market season is in full swing now. It is wonderful to see all of my favorite growers and getting there advice about what to grow and how to solve problems in the garden. Getting share the excitement of the growing season with others in canning classes is thrilling as well. I'm looking forward to the season of canning that starts this Saturday with strawberries. I am hoping to try some new recipes out and add to my ever expanding stock of inventiveness by using what is local and fresh.
The sound of jar lids popping in the kitchen is a sound that every canner wants to hear. The last bit of air being forced out of the jars as they cool means that the jar has successfully sealed. Being able to share this knowledge with others and hearing of there success in there own kitchens is wonderful. This past Saturday I got to share that with some friends. We made Strawberry-Mint Jam, Strawberry-Lemon Marmalade and Lemon Curd. Listening to there stories while the jams were being made and watching with amazement as they got there first taste of jam making made the afternoon fly by. 
Knowing where the food you feed your family came from and how it was produced is one of the biggest pieces of information that I felt I could provide. As someone who is somewhat skeptical of mass produced foods, not knowing what was really in my food was always bothersome. Being able to share in the local food movement and provide information about local farmers who produce some wonderful fruits and veggies is great. Why send your money off to the other side of the world when you could keep it here and help your local community to prosper is a feeling that has been very rewarding to me. 
